In The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, the protagonist is Kvothe.
Kvothe is introduced as Kote, the quiet innkeeper of the Waystone Inn, before his past is revealed through a story told to the Chronicler. In his youth, Kvothe is a gifted musician, performer, arcanist, and storyteller who grows up with the traveling Edema Ruh. After tragedy strikes his family, he pursues knowledge, magic, and the truth behind the mysterious Chandrian.
The novel is framed as the first day of Kvothe’s planned three-day account of his life. This structure lets readers compare the legendary hero described in rumors with the older, withdrawn man running the inn.
The answer is sometimes confused with Denna, Kvothe’s elusive love interest; Bast, his fae student and assistant; or Simmon, his friend at the University. None of them is the protagonist. “Kote” is also not a different central character: it is the identity Kvothe adopts later in life.